Related
Hi - apologies first of all if this is covered elsewhere in the forums.
I purchased a brand new Nexus 6 directly from Motorola this week as they had slashed the price down to just £309 for the 64gb. It arrived Monday. I turned it on, signed into my network etc. it starting updating apps. Then it said that Android 5.1.1. was available so I downloaded it and proceeded to install. About halfway through the installation it crashed. My phone is now stuck on continually booting up and saying 'optimising xxx apps'. After a bit of research, I found that this was a common problem as 5.1.1. was trying to update and some apps were incompatible. So I read many forums and booted into Recovery mode, wiped the cache, wiped data and did a factory reset, but it still won't work.
I called Motorola who told me that they have had many of their Nexus 6s do this and all they could do was to refund me the phone as they now are out of stock.
Further research led me to read about 'flashing' the phone so I downloaded Wugfresh but I cannot get into the phone to enable me to debug. After many hours today I have come to the conclusion that I am never going to be able to use my new phone which I am gutted about.
My question is, is there anyway to flash the phone without enabling debugging because I cannot get into the main menu because all if does is just keep optimizing apps?
Many thanks for reading and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
bacon_roll said:
Hi - apologies first of all if this is covered elsewhere in the forums.
I purchased a brand new Nexus 6 directly from Motorola this week as they had slashed the price down to just £309 for the 64gb. It arrived Monday. I turned it on, signed into my network etc. it starting updating apps. Then it said that Android 5.1.1. was available so I downloaded it and proceeded to install. About halfway through the installation it crashed. My phone is now stuck on continually booting up and saying 'optimising xxx apps'. After a bit of research, I found that this was a common problem as 5.1.1. was trying to update and some apps were incompatible. So I read many forums and booted into Recovery mode, wiped the cache, wiped data and did a factory reset, but it still won't work.
I called Motorola who told me that they have had many of their Nexus 6s do this and all they could do was to refund me the phone as they now are out of stock.
Further research led me to read about 'flashing' the phone so I downloaded Wugfresh but I cannot get into the phone to enable me to debug. After many hours today I have come to the conclusion that I am never going to be able to use my new phone which I am gutted about.
My question is, is there anyway to flash the phone without enabling debugging because I cannot get into the main menu because all if does is just keep optimizing apps?
Many thanks for reading and any assistance would be greatly appreciated.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could try and flash a flash a factory image via fastboot...
draa2711 said:
You could try and flash a flash a factory image via fastboot...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, he can't try, he has his bootloader locked.
OP, this thread is a classic case of why the first thing anyone should do with this device, even if not planning to root or otherwise modify it, is to enable developer options in settings and enable both USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. Without both enabled there's no way to resolve your problem, and unfortunately you'll need to contact Motorola and arrange a return, since they are out of stock.
Once you get your money back, look on Swappa for a used device. You may be able to get a device that way at a lower price than what Motorola offers.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
OP, this thread is a classic case of why the first thing anyone should do with this device, even if not planning to root or otherwise modify it, is to enable developer options in settings and enable both USB Debugging and OEM Unlocking. Without both enabled there's no way to resolve your problem, and unfortunately you'll need to contact Motorola and arrange a return, since they are out of stock.
Once you get your money back, look on Swappa for a used device. You may be able to get a device that way at a lower price than what Motorola offers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your advice, but I had no idea, probably like so many others who aren't as clued up on Android that USB Debugging even existed. I just bought a phone that I wanted that now is no good to me having never been able to use it because of a bug in 5.1.1. I am returning to Motorola for refund.
Without wanting to raise false hopes, there is a thread in this forum where the OP says he recovered his device even though the bootloader was locked (he was certain of it, he said...), other people replying that this was impossible, and yet they eventually seemed to accept that it might be. My bootloader has been unlocked since day one, and I don't remember if there was an "Allow OEM unlock" option in Settings - the same thread had discussion about Marshmallow not having it. I suppose this N6 is still on Lollipop, so maybe a red herring...
I'll see if I can find the thread for reference, but in the meantime does anyone recognise the thread I mean?
bacon_roll, since I'm vegetarian I shouldn't be helping you but have you tried Wugfresh's option of "Phone is bricked/bootlooping"? I think all it does is to reboot the device into bootloader anyway, but I think this might be worth a go if you haven't already tried it. You did mention that you've booted into recovery, but you don't mention bootloader mode.
draa2711 said:
You could try and flash a flash a factory image via fastboot...
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Click to collapse
Thanks. As per my post, I can't because the phone is locked.
dahawthorne said:
My bootloader has been unlocked since day one, and I don't remember if there was an "Allow OEM unlock" option in Settings - the same thread had discussion about Marshmallow not having it. I suppose this N6 is still on Lollipop, so maybe a red herring...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You could check in the About Phone menu to see what version you're on.
Both Android 5.x and Android 6.x have an OEM Unlocking toggle in Development Options. I know because I followed my own advice given above in my previous post in order to flash the latest Android 6.0.1 ROM to the device, and then checked Developer Options afterward.
dahawthorne said:
Without wanting to raise false hopes, there is a thread in this forum where the OP says he recovered his device even though the bootloader was locked (he was certain of it, he said...), other people replying that this was impossible, and yet they eventually seemed to accept that it might be. My bootloader has been unlocked since day one, and I don't remember if there was an "Allow OEM unlock" option in Settings - the same thread had discussion about Marshmallow not having it. I suppose this N6 is still on Lollipop, so maybe a red herring...
I'll see if I can find the thread for reference, but in the meantime does anyone recognise the thread I mean?
bacon_roll, since I'm vegetarian I shouldn't be helping you but have you tried Wugfresh's option of "Phone is bricked/bootlooping"? I think all it does is to reboot the device into bootloader anyway, but I think this might be worth a go if you haven't already tried it. You did mention that you've booted into recovery, but you don't mention bootloader mode.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi - please get my hopes up, I really want to keep this phone if I can
Without sounding like a complete nerd, what is the difference between recovery and bootloader mode?
When I scroll through the options with both arrows pressed and power button, I have START, RESTART BOOTLOADER, RECOVERY MODE, POWER OFF, FACTORY, BARCODES, BP TOOLS, QCOM & BOOTLOADER LOGS
I have done factory wipe/cache/restart bootloader etc.
How do I boot into bootloader mode please.
Thank you.
Overly simplistic reply here, but it should be enough to answer the question.
The bootloader prepares the system for booting. Once it's done its work it hands off control of the system to Android's kernel. Recovery is a mini operating system used to initiate low level functions such as wiping the on-board storage. The screen you describe I believe is the bootloader interface, hence why you have a "Restart Bootloader" option instead of "Start Bootloader".
You can probably save some serious money by returning and buying off swappa really. I just broke my N6 and couldn't find one in stock but, used swappa to find one around $260 that was only used for 2 weeks.
If you already have Wugfresh's Nexus Root Toolkit installed, use the "Install & test drivers" button to make sure that you have all your drivers installed properly. If all is ok, although I know this won't be popular advice, then start with the "My device is soft-bricked", then try the "Unlock" button and then "Flash stock" button. If the phone is already a paperweight then I don't believe it can possibly do any more harm, and you might even hit it lucky...
If none of this works, grab Motorola's refund offer with both hands...
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
Overly simplistic reply here, but it should be enough to answer the question.
The bootloader prepares the system for booting. Once it's done its work it hands off control of the system to Android's kernel. Recovery is a mini operating system used to initiate low level functions such as wiping the on-board storage. The screen you describe I believe is the bootloader interface, hence why you have a "Restart Bootloader" option instead of "Start Bootloader".
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok thank you.
I downloaded and installed Wugfresh, followed all the instructions. It won't work once it goes to flash because it can't see my phone connected. My PC recognises it as Nexus 6 but on the 'bootloader' screen at the bottom, it says Connect USB Data Cable, even though the phone says Battery OK (Charging). I tried to install latest USB drivers but apparently the latest are installed.
I am giving up now as I don't believe I can try anything else. Just strange that Wugfresh won't see the phone, yet my PC does.
Thanks.
Oh well...
You did try the Wugfresh "Test drivers"? It has a really helpful walkthrough on deleting and installing drivers. I'd give it a go before you give up.
dahawthorne said:
Oh well...
You did try the Wugfresh "Test drivers"? It has a really helpful walkthrough on deleting and installing drivers. I'd give it a go before you give up.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok I don't often use this phrase because I think it's very over rated but O M G - IT WORKED!!
I followed the driver guide in Wugfresh as you suggested, downloaded the CORRECT drivers, flashed it, unlocked bootloader, enabled usb debugging (just in case ) and then restored it then finally relocked the bootloader. It worked flawlessly and after setting up it is now 6.0.1 with the 1 Jan 2016 security patch applied - OTA.
I can't think you enough for your suggestion and advice, I really appreciate it and glad that I persevered with it.
Have a great weekend.
Thanks.
Bacon_Roll (vegetarian version)
That is absolutely fantastic news. I'm almost as pleased as you are. Remote assistance across the ether - you can't beat it with a big stick...
But as your attorney I advise you to go back into bootloader, check the connection (fastboot devices) and unlock again (fastboot oem unlock). This will wipe your device, but I reckon in the last 25 minutes you won't have been able to install much.
There are so many threads on this forum where people have been told "You're stuffed" because they have a problem and have a locked bootloader. Just this afternoon in another thread I read, literally in capital letters "DON'T RELOCK YOUR BOOTLOADER" for this very reason - without it you don't have recourse to the recovery tools you may one day need.
(P.S. Another person whose thread I followed also managed to get a result with NRT after all else had failed. I suggested to him that he might like to thank the developer, Doug Cohen/Wugfresh, more tangibly by donating a few dollars, which you can do through Paypal on his website. After all, he just saved your £300 phone... ).
@dahawthorne: I'll have to look into Wugfresh's utility. Not that I need it for anything, but it would be good to have in the unlikely event something goes wrong over here. Meanwhile, bacon_roll should take your advice to heart, because it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.
dahawthorne said:
That is absolutely fantastic news. I'm almost as pleased as you are. Remote assistance across the ether - you can't beat it with a big stick...
But as your attorney I advise you to go back into bootloader, check the connection (fastboot devices) and unlock again (fastboot oem unlock). This will wipe your device, but I reckon in the last 25 minutes you won't have been able to install much.
There are so many threads on this forum where people have been told "You're stuffed" because they have a problem and have a locked bootloader. Just this afternoon in another thread I read, literally in capital letters "DON'T RELOCK YOUR BOOTLOADER" for this very reason - without it you don't have recourse to the recovery tools you may one day need.
(P.S. Another person whose thread I followed also managed to get a result with NRT after all else had failed. I suggested to him that he might like to thank the developer, Doug Cohen/Wugfresh, more tangibly by donating a few dollars, which you can do through Paypal on his website. After all, he just saved your £300 phone... ).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Understood! I will take your advice on both counts but I was going to donate anyway as it really is a fantastic tool.
Thanks again
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@dahawthorne: I'll have to look into Wugfresh's utility. Not that I need it for anything, but it would be good to have in the unlikely event something goes wrong over here. Meanwhile, bacon_roll should take your advice to heart, because it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for your help over the thread Strephon - much appreciated.
Strephon Alkhalikoi said:
@dahawthorne: I'll have to look into Wugfresh's utility. Not that I need it for anything, but it would be good to have in the unlikely event something goes wrong over here. Meanwhile, bacon_roll should take your advice to heart, because it will save him a lot of trouble in the future.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FFS, it's not a magic wand, people! It can't do anything that fastboot and adb can't. Don't start a religion here instead teaching people to do stuff with their phones, Christ!
Some people were lucky enogh that their phones came with 5.0, and some early 5.0s didn't check yet for the Enable OEM Unlocking switch. You could have typed fastboot OEM unlock and achieved the same.
I had kept my bootloader unlocked for flashing new ROMs but unfortunately i lost it on train and now i can understand that the theif can easily flash a new rom and so i can never retrive my device as far as i understood that i have to keep my bootloader locked but this means that i have to unlock and relock my bootloader each time i want to flash a new rom so this is very problematic for losing internal data too every time.
Also i don't have a job else i would have brought a new OP3T. I hope that in future OP can introduce some hardwire based tracking for lost devices , what do you people suggest?
samwidd said:
I had kept my bootloader unlocked for flashing new ROMs but unfortunately i lost it on train and now i can understand that the theif can easily flash a new rom and so i can never retrive my device as far as i understood that i have to keep my bootloader locked but this means that i have to unlock and relock my bootloader each time i want to flash a new rom so this is very problematic for losing internal data too every time.
Also i don't have a job else i would have brought a new OP3T. I hope that in future OP can introduce some hardwire based tracking for lost devices , what do you people suggest?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I suggest that if the thief is able to flash a new ROM, he will be perfectly able to open the bootloader. So I recommend that you do not worry about having the bootloader open.
As for the tracking system, I think Google has already developed certain functions aimed at this use. When I have time I will investigate about this topic and update this post.
Please, be awere.
idcampo95 said:
I suggest that if the thief is able to flash a new ROM, he will be perfectly able to open the bootloader. So I recommend that you do not worry about having the bootloader open.
As for the tracking system, I think Google has already developed certain functions aimed at this use. When I have time I will investigate about this topic and update this post.
Please, be awere.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Google device manager. Thats the tracking tool you searching for. ?
not a big deal to reset FRP. Samsung and LG FRP takes only few minutes to be removed with z3x box. i think even stock rom have some bugs to bypass FRP. Best way is not to loose your phone.
It won't help you now, but take a screenshot of your imei, then back it up to your photos. If your phone is lost or stolen report it and depending on what country you live in, it will be black listed. Then it won't work on any carrier, no matter which rom is flashed.
Bjarne73 said:
Try Google device manager. Thats the tracking tool you searching for.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Since I had kept my bootloader unlocked I believe that can easily flash a new rom so Android device manager won't be useful at all
Jowhee said:
It won't help you now, but take a screenshot of your imei, then back it up to your photos. If your phone is lost or stolen report it and depending on what country you live in, it will be black listed. Then it won't work on any carrier, no matter which rom is flashed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ya I know that I have already submitted FIR in police with the IMEI number but I believe these days they remove all the parts and sell the parts differently so very less chance in recovery
acmerw said:
not a big deal to reset FRP. Samsung and LG FRP takes only few minutes to be removed with z3x box. i think even stock rom have some bugs to bypass FRP. Best way is not to loose your phone.
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Click to collapse
Ya I know but if there is very strong FRP in apple iPhone devices i hope it comes to Android too
Hi Gents,
ok so we all know by now that waiting 7 days unlocks the OEM option for the N8 950F, i want to root, my concern is that i have been reading and see that results are mixed, i have seen that flashing a custom FW has soft bricked some phones and you will have to flash back to official FW and wait yet again for 7 days for OEM to show up in dev options....
what i want to know is whats the sure fire way to get it to work (ROOTand CFW) because i dont wanna end up losing the OEM option and then have to restore OFW?
please let me know your thoughts and what you did to have a successful first time flash, my note model is N950F/DS.
mafioso345 said:
Hi Gents,
ok so we all know by now that waiting 7 days unlocks the OEM option for the N8 950F, i want to root, my concern is that i have been reading and see that results are mixed, i have seen that flashing a custom FW has soft bricked some phones and you will have to flash back to official FW and wait yet again for 7 days for OEM to show up in dev options....
what i want to know is whats the sure fire way to get it to work (ROOTand CFW) because i dont wanna end up losing the OEM option and then have to restore OFW?
please let me know your thoughts and what you did to have a successful first time flash, my note model is N950F/DS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You don't gain anything anymore from rooting that you used to. The phones are already lightning fast.
- R. Kruse Ludington:
Galaxy Note 8<-5<-3<-S3<-Nexus; Droid X; HTC HD2<-Touch Pro 2<-Tilt<-8525; O2 XDA II<-XDA
mafioso345 said:
Hi Gents,
ok so we all know by now that waiting 7 days unlocks the OEM option for the N8 950F, i want to root, my concern is that i have been reading and see that results are mixed, i have seen that flashing a custom FW has soft bricked some phones and you will have to flash back to official FW and wait yet again for 7 days for OEM to show up in dev options....
what i want to know is whats the sure fire way to get it to work (ROOTand CFW) because i dont wanna end up losing the OEM option and then have to restore OFW?
please let me know your thoughts and what you did to have a successful first time flash, my note model is N950F/DS.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's cause no one knows exactly why it disappears yet or has a valid fix for it. So far it seems like people are having luck with krabman's method.
KruseLudsMobile said:
You don't gain anything anymore from rooting that you used to. The phones are already lightning fast.
- R. Kruse Ludington:
Galaxy Note 8<-5<-3<-S3<-Nexus; Droid X; HTC HD2<-Touch Pro 2<-Tilt<-8525; O2 XDA II<-XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In the past, people mainly rooted for speed tweaks & themeing but those aren't the only reason for root. Speed tweaks & themeing were never the main reasons why I rooted.
Like many I spent time in jail waiting for my OEM unlock. How I spent that time was trying to work around not having root and it was a miserable failure. When talking about the need for root I think it's best that the conversation first be understood to be subjective. A person that doesn't do anything that requires root will feel that it is unnecessary, those that do will consider it vital as a means to get where they're going.
There are many, many, people who said "you don't need to do that" in regards to getting root on these devices who went down in flames. No timer on OEM unlock and not a big deal, you try again until you get it right. We get one try and getting it wrong means you have reset your timer and you're waiting a week. Wait that week and you get one try, failure means another week. A person can repeat that cycle as many times as they want, I'd suggest going all in the first time because no one knows exactly which steps are not needed yet although we have ruled a few out. One thing that is apparent is once you have the first rom install in the rest can be done following normal rom installation procedure so long as they're clean flashes. I haven't tried any dirty flashes but for the same rom I'm thinking it will work, of course when the time comes I might be proven wrong. I'm hoping someone else will get there first and I can take advantage of their experience.
That being said in general the process begins by flashing TWRP in odin. You must leave odin and go directly to TWRP, failure to stop the boot at recovery means a certain binaries error and a week wait. Once you are in recovery you must stay there until you have finished installing a rom that has been de-knoxed. Pay attention to holding the buttons on the phone while you start the TWRP flash as described in the TWRP thread. If you untick reboot in odin then the only way out is to hold volume down/ power which will tell the phone to reboot into system. You must then quickly switch to volume up/bix/power during a small window in order to get the phone to go to recovery. If you miss it nothing can stop the phone from continuing to boot and you have just got a week wait before your next try. If you don't untick restart you can try the same thing when odin automatically reboots the phone after the flash. If you miss it you will get the binaries error and be waiting a week. People have missed it both ways. There is a reason that the TWRP instructions specifically state to prepare odin, hold the vol up/bix/power buttons and continue holding them while you press the button in odin and keep right on holding those buttons all the way through until the phone boots into TWRP. This makes it a sure thing, the other way you may or may not succeed. Lastly we've proven you don't need to remove your SIMs on subsequent rom installs but it remains a question with the first install as there are conflicting reports. If it were me I'd pull them and not put them back until I was fully up and running on the other side. You will need to pull at least Sim 2 in order to put in the micro SD with your rom, verity, and root firmware for use in TWRP no matter what. Feeling frisky and you want to leave Sim 1 in then please report your results in the OEM unlock thread.
So... To install a rom you will begin by following the TWRP instructions to the letter including the format all the way through the process until the end. Some will say you don't need to flash the no-verity, ordinarily I'd agree with them as it is flashed as a part of both the SU and magisk flash but in this case we know that following those instructions in exacting detail works as a first step but not doing so has been a failure for many. Because few have followed the same steps plus or minus a detail from the known working method we don't know exactly which things are unneeded so if it's me I would just follow the known working method. As always those wanting to advance our knowledge by trying something else should report their results in the OEM unlock thread. When you reach the end of the TWRP installation instructions you will remain in recovery and flash your rom and then factory reset. Then flash either magisk or SU again depending on which rom and which root method you're using. Once root has been reflashed you can go ahead and boot to system. Finish the setup before you put the sims back in the phone.
There is a longer throw the kitchen sink method in the OEM unlock thread for those that wish to search, that is what I would do if I wanted absolutely no risk as it seems to work without fail. I've done what I describe here a good ten or more times now as I was the first reported rom install here using the first method and I've been flashing away since then and dropping some of those original steps as I went. I'm thinking it should work for others too but I cant prove it until someone does it. It may be you need the kitchen sink for the first flash, I simply cant say because I would have to go stock to try and I'm not harboring much of a hankering to do that. This being XDA and we being adults please understand that I'm sharing the information based on actual practice on my own phone but there is no guarantee. You make your choices and what happens, happens.
Today I got up real pissed with Samsung for being so restrictive around ROM flashing, rooting, flashing custom firmware or even stock firmware, so wanted to create this post to help anybody considering to get a Samsung phone to stay away from it.
This post is not intended to recommend any specific brand or model of android phone, but to recommend the exact opposite, which brand and model NOT TO EVEN THINK of purchasing.
This post relates to Samsung Galaxy S9 G9600 model which is Snapdragon architecture, but since Samsung is coming up with a bunch of "security features" I tend to think this may be the case for other models as well. I browsed all around XDA and other sources for guides on how to root and install custom roms, and it turns out Samsung manages to have limitations for EVERY step of the way.
Getting a few facts straight
Reference post: https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga.../rom-lineageos-17-1-s9-s9-snapdragon-t4093301
Ok, so there is a solid thread about a custom firmware and looks like several users got hands on it, but they might have been able to get passed though all Samsung security crap before it came out or before it got so tightened up. I'll list below every limitation I found:
OEM Unlock
There is a step where we need to tick OEM Unlock from the phone developer settings, it turns out Samsung has put a 7-day timer for this option to even appear listed to enable. If you do factory reset of the phone, the 7-day timer restarts. There are a few posts around on how to get passed this timer, but to me they were all crap, none of them worked. STRIKE ONE!
Bootloader unlock
After 7-days, we get the OEM Unlock option to appear, at this point you may think: Hurray!! .... WRONG! Now next step is to unlock the bootloader using an utility called CROM Services... And as you may have already guessed, did not work! I'm able to install the apk, but on launch it complains about wrong android version. (Tried with Android 8 and 10) STRIKE TWO!
There are some posts and guides claiming to be able to unlock bootloader by using fastboot utility, I can't reach to understand how, since fastboot commands rely on the bootloader to be previously unlocked (?). I least that is my understanding, correct me if wrong. Needless to say fastboot did not work for me. ADB lists my device but fastboot doesn't. There are a few troubleshoot guides around to try selecting proper USB driver from windows device manager, tried all that, tried a couple of ADB installations, fastboot didn't work.
Knox and RMM state
After some lookup in the web, Samsung incorporates some security features trying to prevent device theft and such things. For us power users this is in reality just a whole load of crap preventing us to get all the juice out of our phones.
Reference: https://www.goandroid.co.in/unlock-bootloader-of-galaxy-s9-plus-snapdragon/84688/
TWRP Recovery
Next step would be to flash a custom recovery such as TWRP with Odin or adb/fastboot, but since we are not able to unlock the bootloader in previous step, this is not doable at all. STRIKE THREE! OUT!
Fastboot utility doesn't recognize the device in download mode, so we can't send any commands to the phone.
Odin complains it is only able to flash signed stock roms, so since TWRP is not, we cannot flash it.
Rooting
Needless to say that if we don't have TWRP, we cannot flash the corresponding packages to root. Although this step may not be needed to install custom firmware, rooting has not been possible.
Stock ROM Flashing
Ok, so let's stay out of custom firmware - let's play around with stock firmwares. At this point, since flashing stock firmwares is kind of allowed by Samsung I was able to try out a couple from android 8 to 10 with Odin
Stock ROM Source: https://www.sammobile.com/samsung/galaxy-s9/firmware/#SM-G9600
But watch out! Once you get to install a specific build version, you cannot go back or downgrade to ROMS with previous Android build version. So now that I got Android 10 cannot go back to 8 or 9, this is probably because locked bootloader and unable to unlock. Here, Odin complains with FAIL! (AUTH) message.
STRIKE FOUR! EVEN OUTTER!
SIM Unlock
Ok, let's stay out of Samsung S9 G9600 model, let's crash it to the wall and throw it away to the garbage! Ok no, let's have it carrier unlocked and sell. Unlockbase is a well known and trusted sim unlock provider, I purchased a license to unlock by USB cable, but... GUESS WHAT! G9600 is not supported for unlocking operator network with this software... what a surprise!! I was able to apply for a refund and got my money back, so no worries here.
Note that flashing carrier free ROM does not unlock sim to use with any network operator.
I'll be trying to unlocking by code soon, as this is based on IMEI number, I may think this is independent to the phone model and edition, so I hope I have more luck with this option.
Conclusion
G9600 is a really crappy phone to mess around with. I may have ran low on luck with this specific Samsung Galaxy model since I got it as a gift, which is the latinamerican crappy edition. I wonder if other S9 editions and other Samsung models run with better luck than mine on this scenery... But as a lesson to myself, I will stay away of any Samsung smartphone in the foreseeable future.
OEM Unlock
The 7-day lock prevents stolen phones from being factory reset, leaving the thief with a phone permanently protected by your account. While a minor inconvenience, it's actually effective and not the worst compared to other manufacturers.
Bootloader Unlock
After OEM Unlocking, flashing TWRP through ODIN is effectively unlocking the bootloader. This is possible on both exynos and snap.
Knox and RMM
While this is an inconvenience, from Samsung's point of view, it's worth it. It makes the phone look more secure in the eyes of potential customers. If you really wish for NFC payments, I'm still able to use GPay with Magisk on a custom ROM.
TWRP Recovery
TWRP is flashed through ODIN, not fastboot. Look up an actual guide before complaining.
Root
Yes you can
Stock ROM Flashing
The one thing I could agree on with you is Samsung disabling OTA updates when OEM unlocking. I don't see the point really, but you're free to flash whatever you want through ODIN. Downgrading shouldn't be an issue. Not sure what's up with that.
Before buying a phone, how about you do some research before crying on forums. As a power user coming from the Oneplus One, I don't regret going for Samsung in the least.
Thanks for your reply, I had dropped all hope after several attempts over last few weeks. Found this option and I was able to get past my blocking issue with TWRP and moved on.
https://forum.xda-developers.com/ga...er-development/g9650zhu6dta7-android-t4051751
I have G960F and have to admit I totally disagree with your original post. I've been using custom ROMs on nearly every phone I ever had and don't think S9 (G960F) is bad in terms of unlocking. Just did an OEM unlock, waited a week, flashed TWRP through Odin, booted straight to TWRP and immediately flashed a custom ROM from it (because a boot to the stock ROM would replace TWRP back with the stock recovery IIRC). In the end I got sick of all the problems with Magisk and non-working google pay that I went back to the stock ROM - making S9 the first phone I use with a stock ROM even though it can be flashed. I think it's a great phone for power users.
And as far as SIM unlock goes - Samsung is not to blame, the carrier the phone was made for (and purchased from) is. Phones that Samsung itself sells are unlocked. I wonder why there's still some countries where SIM locking remains legal.
This thread is a prime example of how people end up with bricked devices. So much misinformation in one page LOL
I had the 9650 and most of what I'm doing here is user error. This was one of the best devices I've ever owned. I mention of fast boot and such you obviously just do not know samsung devices. You can't blame samsung on your own ignorance
Hi,
for my Google Pixel 5 I want /e/os/.
Two instructions how to accomplish this. To flash /e/os onto a Google Pixel 5, the smartphone need to have Android 12.
My Google Pixel 5 has Android 13 (I received a New Old Stock device in a unopened box with Android 13. So no tinkering
beforehand.)
I found this archive of Android 12 images - all for the Google Pixel 5 and all Android 12:
Factory Images for Nexus and Pixel Devices | Google Play services | Google for Developers
developers.google.com
How can I determine and choose the correct image to flash?
Cheers!
Etymotics
12.1.0 (SQ3A.220705.003.A1, Jul 2022) is going to be the latest android 12 build which should be compatible.
Hi noidea24,
thank you for your post and the information. That helps me a lot - I was confused by the shear amount of images.
Do you know a thread which may have the things I want to achieve as topic ? I tried to search with keywords
like "Google Pixel 5 /e/os" and similiar, but it looks like the search found all threads containing GOOGLE *and* all threads with PIXEL *and* all....and so forth. I would need a second search engine to skim through the results...\
Cheers!
Etymotics
What are you looking for specifically? There's not really much info on e/os on the pixel 5. It works well, but the development is slow. Why e/os over similar projects with updated android versions like Graphene, Calyx, Copperhead?
e/os is not daily drivable, recommend not to install.
e/os was recommended to me by Marcel Bokhorst, the author of XPrivacy.
But as it seems, I had bad luck with the phone I bought:
The "OEM unlock" is greyed out and I know of no way to unlock the bootloader.
It currently runs on Android13 and last update was Dec. '22.
My intention behind all this was to have a de-googled phone because I [CENSORED] this
tracking and spying and "owning" a device, which I cannot control to 100%.
Anything else I can do to achieve this?
PS: My phone may be is one of these [CENSORED] Verizon devices. It was originally packaged
and as it seems never used before...
Where did you buy your phone? Ebay? A retailer?
Is there a keyword "Locked" or "Unlocked" anywhere on the website?
If the product listing didn't mention anything about it being carrier locked, I suggest requesting a refund or a replacement.
The "OEM Unlock" greyed-out is most definitely due to it being a carrier locked device and you're out of luck.
Also, if you truly want a de-googled OS, I recommend Graphene OS. https://grapheneos.org/
Etymotics said:
e/os was recommended to me by Marcel Bokhorst, the author of XPrivacy.
But as it seems, I had bad luck with the phone I bought:
The "OEM unlock" is greyed out and I know of no way to unlock the bootloader.
It currently runs on Android13 and last update was Dec. '22.
My intention behind all this was to have a de-googled phone because I [CENSORED] this
tracking and spying and "owning" a device, which I cannot control to 100%.
Anything else I can do to achieve this?
PS: My phone may be is one of these [CENSORED] Verizon devices. It was originally packaged
and as it seems never used before...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not to give you false hope but did you connect to wifi on your first time through setup? If you don't, OEM unlock will be greyed out, regardless.
Hi Alex,
(NOT meant as any form of criticism or complaint... )
...I am a little confused here.
Other posts (not necessarily on this forum...can't remember) say: "Pull out the simcard, disable Wifi and DON'T contact anything, only skip through the setup..."
At the moment I only have a simcard of the wrong size...but I enabled Wifi but did not update anything in fear of getting an even stronger patch to disable any form of tinkering.
But as I am still having a locked "OEM unlocking" and a locked bootloader I am open for any kind of tinkering to get
this damn thing freed.
Would these steps ok:
Start the phone,
Setup lockscreen, dark theme, etc..
enable Wifi and download all updates, install updates
Ok? Or what would you suggest?
Cheers!
Etymotics
Etymotics said:
Hi Alex,
(NOT meant as any form of criticism or complaint... )
...I am a little confused here.
Other posts (not necessarily on this forum...can't remember) say: "Pull out the simcard, disable Wifi and DON'T contact anything, only skip through the setup..."
At the moment I only have a simcard of the wrong size...but I enabled Wifi but did not update anything in fear of getting an even stronger patch to disable any form of tinkering.
But as I am still having a locked "OEM unlocking" and a locked bootloader I am open for any kind of tinkering to get
this damn thing freed.
Would these steps ok:
Start the phone,
Setup lockscreen, dark theme, etc..
enable Wifi and download all updates, install updates
Ok? Or what would you suggest?
Cheers!
Etymotics
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're not going to lose data or your not afraid of it, I would:
Factory reset without sim card in
When phone reboots, start setup
Don't put sim in but do connect to wifi
Skip through setup if you want and check if oem unlock is available
I'm not sure of the instructions you have, maybe that's what people believe for Verizon phones but you're not sure if you have one, correct?
Here's my experience:
I have several pixels, all unlocked. If I flash back to stock firmware and skip through setup without connecting to wifi, OEM unlock is greyed out. If I connect wifi on the first time through, it's available.
I've also heard this in tech videos. However, it won't work with Verizon phones. But if yours isn't Verizon, this could be the reason you're not able to unlock.
Hi Alex,
thank you for all your help! By the way: Are there any definite proofs for "my smartphone is a Verizon one" ?
I will try what you wrote and will be back with the result.
Two things came into my mind:
- Shall I install updates/upgrades if offered?
- Would downgrading (if even possible) via Chrome and the "Flash" feature on the Google page with all these images help, if I have a Verizon jail?
Cheers!
Etymotics
Etymotics said:
Hi Alex,
thank you for all your help! By the way: Are there any definite proofs for "my smartphone is a Verizon one" ?
I will try what you wrote and will be back with the result.
Two things came into my mind:
- Shall I install updates/upgrades if offered?
- Would downgrading (if even possible) via Chrome and the "Flash" feature on the Google page with all these images help, if I have a Verizon jail?
Cheers!
Etymotics
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There may be a way but I'm not entirely sure, perhaps Google well help. I do seem to remember something about the IEMI but that may have been older models.
I wouldn't upgrade anything after setup and it shouldn't offer anything during.
As far as I know, downgrading won't help but I don't think you could from the Google page, as it requires an unlocked bootloader
Hi Alex,
I will try, what you wrote without updating anything ... will be back then...
Hi Alex,
no...unfortunately it does not help to connect to wifi...the "OEM unlock" is still grayed out.
Now....I wanted a de-googled phone to keep my privacy...instead I got a phone which is the
exact opposite. Unfortunately the cost of that thing remains the same...
Anything else, I can try?
Cheers!
Etymotics
Last week-end, i was abble to downgrade a Pixel 5 from A13 to A12 following this page
Navigate this article:
Downgrading your Google Pixel smartphone to stable Android version
Method 1: Leave the beta program
Method 2: Manual downgrade
Using Android Flash Tool
Using Fastboot
choose method 2 : fastboot (at the end of the article)
https://www.xda-developers.com/how-...rom-beta-developer-preview-to-stable-android/
and install e-1.10-s-20230412278810-stable-redfin according to the official instructions https://doc.e.foundation/devices/redfin/install
Hi Piero-e
That sounds very interesting. Did you unlock your bootloader before starting the procedure?
Did you change the bootloader of you device to another one?
Cheers!
Etymotics
Yes, i first unlock the bootloader (using the WiFi connection to another phone)
And flash bootloader and modem,
Then unfortunately my computer don't find the flash-all command, so I used the Gogol online tool to flash the others partitions